2001 DODGE DAKOTA Complaints

ON FULL THROTTLE ACCELERATION THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WILL NOT UP SHIFT FROM 1ST TO 2ND. CHRYSLER STATES THAT IS NOT A DEFECT AND IS NORMAL.

I WAS DRIVING THROUGH A TUNNEL IN BOSTON AND MY TRUCK SUDDENLY DIED FOR NO APPARENT REASON. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER FAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD BUT WAS STILL IN THE TRAVEL LANE. THE ODOMETER WAS FLASHING "NO BUS" AND ALL THE DASHBOARD INDICATOR LIGHTS WERE ON. THE VEHICLE SHOWED NO MECHANICAL SIGNS OF FAILURE PRIOR TO STALLING AND MADE NO NOISE WHEN STALLING - IT JUST DIED. AFTER BEING TOWED OUT OF THE TUNNEL (30 MIN. AFTER THE VEHICLE STALLING), I ATTEMPTED TO START THE TRUCK AND IT STARTED RIGHT UP. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY HAD NO SERVICE APPOINTMENTS FOR ONE WEEK. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. THEN, TODAY (MARCH 21), THE TRUCK DIED AGAIN IN THE SAME TUNNEL ON MY WAY HOME FROM WORK. THIS TIME, IT STARTED UP AFTER 5 MINUTES BEFORE THE TOW TRUCK ARRIVED. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND DODGE SEEMS UNINTERESTED IN FIXING IT PROMPTLY. *JB

WHILE DRIVING ABS BRAKES FAILED, RESULTING IN LOSS OF CONTROL. ABS LIGHT CONTINUOUSLY WAS ON. *AK

DEAR SIRS, I HAVE ATTACHES A COPY OF THE NOTE I SENT TO GOODYEAR RUBBER COMPANY IN REGARDS TO THE TIRES ON MY VEHICLE. IT SOUNDS SUSPICIOUSLY LIKE A PROBLEM THAT FIRESTONE HAD AND MAY RESULT IN ACCIDENTS. I THOUGHT I WOULD LET YOU KNOW AS WELL FOR YOUR DATABASE. I HAVE 3 OUT OF 4 GOODYEAR WILDERNESS TRACKER TIRES THAT ARE FACTORY TIRES ON MY DODGE DAKOTA THAT HAVE 2-4 INCH SPLITS ON THE SIDEWALL NEXT TO THE BEAD. SOME ARE ON THE OUTSIDE BUT SOME ARE ON THE INSIDE SIDEWALL. THE GOODYEAR DEALER OFFERED ME 40 $ OFF A 120$ REPLACEMENT TIRE . THE TIRES HAVE 27,000 MILES ON THEM. NOT ONLY IS THAT UNACCEPTABLE FOR AN OBVIOUSLY DEFECTIVE TIRE BUT I DID NOT WANT MORE OF THE SAME TIRE. I DISCOVERED THIS PROBLEM AS I HAD 2 REAR TIRES GOING FLAT WITH NO FOREIGN OBJECTS IN THE TREAD. THE GOODYEAR REP STATED THAT HE HAD SEEN THIS PROBLEM BEFORE SO IT IS OBVIOUSLY A MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND IS UNSAFE. WHILE I DOUBT GOODYEAR WILL OFFER ME ANY REIMBURSEMENT I THOUGHT YOU SHOULD BE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND I WILL BE CONTACTING DODGE AND THE NHTSA WITH MY CONCERNS AS WELL . IT WOULD BE QUITE DISASTROUS IF THE TIRE SEPARATED FROM THE BEAD WHILE AT INTERSTATE SPEEDS. TIM FULTZ....*NLM

TRANSMISSION CONTINUES TO SHIFT ERRATICALLY, DESPITE BEING SEEN BY TWO DIFFERENT DEALERS. THE TCM SEEMS TO BE AN ISSUE. REPROGRAMMING IT DOESN'T SEEM TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THE FACTORY TSB HAS BEEN DONE TWICE BUT HAS FAILED TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM. VEHICLE WILL SOMETIMES LURCH UP INTO 2ND GEAR AT LOWER SPEEDS WITHOUT WARNING OR DOWN TO 1ST FROM 2ND WITHOUT WARNING DESPITE TRAVELING AT A CONSTANT SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH. AFTER 22500 MILES THE VEHICLE HAS DEVELOPED A MODERATE TO SEVERE PROBLEM WHEN BRAKING. THE VEHICLE SEEMS TO HOP IN THE FRONT END DURING BRAKING AND THE BRAKES SEEM TO LOOSE EFFECTIVENESS MOMENTARILY. CLOSER INVESTIGATION REVEALED BOTH FRONT SHOCKS HAD FAILED. THE FRONT BRAKE SYSTEM SEEMS TO BE IN GOOD WORKING ORDER. NO LEAKS, NORMAL PAD AND ROTOR WEAR, NO GROOVES ON ROTOR, THE FRONT SHOCKS WERE REPLACED BUT THE VEHICLE CONTINUES TO HAVE THE BRAKING HOPPING PULSATING PROBLEM. *JB

FRONT BRAKES HAVE SEVERE VIBRATION AFTER ONLY 8000 MILE, PROBABLY DEFECTIVE ROTOR. SAW NUMEROUS COMPLAINT OF THE SAME LISTED. RECALL SHOULD BE DONE. *JB

BALL JOINTS ON MY 2001 DODGE DAKOTA PICKUP ARE ALREADY BAD AFTER 46K MILES. I HEARD MANY COMPLANTS ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM FROM OTHER OWNERS.*JB

FRONT BRAKE GRINDING WHEN HOT AND CONTINUAL REAR BRAKE DRUM WARPAGE. DEALER HAS TURNED THE DRUMS ONCE AND I HAVE HAD IT DONE INDEPENDANTLY TWICE. WARPAGE CONTINUES WITHIN 5-7000 MILES.

SHIFTS INTO NETURAL WHILE DRIVING WILL NOT UPSHIFT FROM LOWER GEAR VECHICLE STILL AT DEALER STILL HAS NOT DIANOSONED PROBLEM HAS HAD SINCE 2/6/03 WHILE I PAY FOR A RENTAL CAR.

THE VEHICLE WAS LEAKING ANTIFREEZE. *JB THE WINDOW HAD FALLEN ON THE CONSUMER FOOT. SCC